Furnace



Jan. 2, 1962 R. E. BUcKHoLD-r ET AL 3,015,478

FURNACE:

Filed Nov. 20, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.44 FIG. 6

l INVENTORS.

ROBERT E. BUCKHOLDT QUENTIN M. BLOOM ATTORNEY.

United States The present invention relates to industrial furnaces, and more particularly to means for supporting and moving work through a furnace while it is being heated.

In the heating of large bodies of metal such as slabs and ingots for example, it has been dihcult to get even heating throughout the body without prolonged soaking because the portion of the body resting on the furnace hearth was not exposed to the heat of the furnace. The uneven heating that results from supporting a metal body directly on a hearth has also prevented the rapid heating of such bodies.

lt has been found that large metal bodies can be heated quite rapidly without danger of c ackiag them if they are subjected equally on all sides to the furnace heat. lt has, however, been quite difficult to support such bodies in a furnace so that heat can be transferred to them equally on all sides.

lt is an object of this invention to provide means for supporting a heavy body to be heated in a furnace in such a manner that heat can be transferred substantially evenly to all of its surfaces.

-t is a further object of the invention to provide means for supporting a heavy object above 'the iloor of a furnace, and moving said object through the furnace while itis being heated.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a fluid cooled pier to support an object to be heated above the hearth of a furnace.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a hollow pier or post vprojecting upwardly from the floor of a furnace. This pier is formed of a pair of concentric members through which a cooling duid is forced for cooling the same. A cap is provided on the upper end of the pier to support the object being heated with substantially a point Contact. lt is contemplated that a number of these piers cen be mounted on carriages so that an object supported thereby can be moved through a furnace.

The various features of novelty which characterize our invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specication. For a better understanding of the invention, however, its advantages and specific objects attained with its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FG. l is a section through the furnace,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper end of one of the piers,

FIG. a is a view taken on line 3 3 of FrG. l,

4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. l,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the upper end of a modied form of the pier, and

FIG. 6 is a view of a stationary pier.

Referring first to FlGS. 1 to 4, there is shown in section a furnace having an elongated chamber 2 that is provided with a floor 3, and a pair of Slots 4 extending lengthwise through the furnace chamber and through the ends thereof. rfhese slots are normally filled with a plurality of work supporting cars 5 that are moved end to end through the furnace to carry work to be heated. Each car has extending above the oor of the furnace, a plurality (shown herein as three) of work supporting arent piers 6 upon which the work to be heated is mounted, which work is shown herein as being a large, heavy slab 7.

The cars consist of a pair of beams d of the length of each car, which are suitably joined together to form a rigid structure. Between the lower edges of the beams, there is provided a plate 9 to which is rigidly attached a vertically extending tubular load bearing member 11. It will be seen from FGS. l and 3, that this member extends above the floor of the furnace and below the bottom of the car by which it is carried, and that the lower end of member 1i is flared slightly. Attached to the upper end of member il is a horizontal plate i2 which in turn has attached to it a load bearing cap i3. Surrounding and spaced from member 11 is a tubular metal member 19 that serves to form an annular passage around member il. A suitable insulating refractory material i4 covers the cars to a thickness substantially equal to that of the floor, and also surrounds the members i9. Thus when the cars are in position, the slot is substantially closed by the refractory on the car, and the members i? are protected from the heat of the furnace by the refractory.

Each car is supported for movement along the slot 4 by tracks 15 that are formed by the under surface of the upper liange of beams 8, and a plurality of wheels 16 that are journaled for rotation on the frame of the furnace. It will be seen from FIG. 3 that the wheels are placed close enough together so that the cars are, at all times, riding on at least three wheels on each side thereby keeping the cars level as they move through the furnace. in order to provide a seal between the cars and the edges of the slot d, each track 1S has an upturned flange i7 forming a trough that can be filled with a suitable sealing medium such as sand. A liange 18 extends downwardly from each edge of the slot to be received in the sand and thereby provide a seal.

The piers 6 are cooled by means of a cooling lluid, which is generally air, that is forced through a pipe 29 under the furnace, and through outlets 2f into the lower ends of members ii. This air passes up through member il, and through a passage including cap i3 and holes 22 that are formed in plate 12, and down through the annular space between members 19 and 11. The plate 9 is also provided with openings 23 so that the air can be exhausted.

Another'manner in which the upper end of the supported piers can be formed is shown in FIGURE 5. in this figure, the tubular load bearing member 24, corresponding to member il of FIG. 2, has a cap 2S fastened directly to it. The upper end of tube 24 has openings 2a through which the air can iiow as it is passing through the tubes. A heat dissipating member 27 is fastened to the apex of cap 25, and extends downwardly in the tube 24. This member will Carry heat away from the cap and lose the heat to the cooling fluid flowing through the pier.

In the operation of the apparatus, the furnace is heated by any suitable burners to the desired temperature. In various furnaces it has been necessary to place the work to be heated on the floor of the furnace, and for this reason a long heating time and relatively slow heating rate was required in order to heat the work evenly throughout its volume. With the present invention, however, the work is held above the oor of the furnace so that the heat from the furnace chamber can be received evenly on all surfaces of the work. By supportingwork in this fashion, large bodies of metal can be heated much more rapidly than otherwise would be the case. In preparing the apparatus for use, cars S are moved side by side to a position in front of the furnace at one end thereof. Work is then placed on piers of the two side by side cars, and these cars are moved together through the assent/e furnace. it is preferable that the cars be moved simultaneously in steps by some suitable and Well known car moving apparatus that can be either mechanical or hydraulic. in such operation, at the termination of each step of movement ofV the cars through the furnace, the v lower dared ends of the load supporting members l1 are located vdirectly above the outlets El of air supply pipes 29. By proper dimensioning of the cars, it will be easy to assure that this takes place. Therefore, during theV time that the cars are stationary between steps cooling air is being blown through the piers to keep them below a safe temperature wl ere they will have suiiicient strength to support the work.

lt will be seen that the load supporting member of each pier is located within a second `tubular member that is not load supporting, and that the second member is protected from the furnace heat by means of an insulating refractory. Thus, it is possible to malte a satisfactory worn supporting member that is not subjected directly to the heat of the furnace. This member can therefore be cooled more easily, and with less cooling tiuid than would be the case it it were subjected directly to the furnace temperature. rlhus, there is provided an easily cooled work supporting pier that can be maintained at a safe temperature. Furthermore, the cooling uid that is used in connection with the pier does not draw a great amount of heat from the furnace. Y

The work supporting piers described above were used on cars that move work through a furnace. it will be obvious, however, that the piers can be stationary -in a furnace licor and have work placed upon them for werk heated in a tixed position. Such a construction is shown in FIG. 6 wherein the furnace door is indicated at 31. A load supporting member 32 extends from below the furnace door to above the floor, and is rigidly attached to a structural member 33 capable of supporting the load. This member is shown as being hollow so that the interior thereof can serve as a duct for the cooling fluid. Attached to the upperend of member 32 is a plate 3e which in turn has attached to it a work supporting cap 35. An exhaust passage is formed by a tube 3e which surrounds and is spaced from the member 32,V and, as shown, this member extends below the furnace door. Tube 3o is surrounded by a protecting insulating refractory coating y in the operation of this form of the invention, cooling duid, usually air, is supplied through duct 33 to the member 32. lt flows through this member to cool the same and against cap 35 to cool that. The air is exhausted through openings 33 in plate 3d and downwardly through tube 36 away from the furnace chamber.

From the above description it will be seen that we have provided apparatus which will support work to be heated in the furnace above the licor of the furnace so that all surfaces of the work will be subjected to the furnace heat. The work supporting piers are so arranged that the load carrying member is protected from the furnace heat, and that the cooling huid which is used to cool the worl; supporting member, passes through a passage that is also insulated from the furnace chamber. This construction produces an efcient work support cooling without withdrawing a large amount of heat from the furnace chamber.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, we haveillustrated and described the best form of embodiment of our invention now known to us, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims, and that in some cases certain features of our invention may be used toadvantage without a corresponding use of other features.

What Vis claimed is: j

1. A pier adapted to support work to be heated including a'irst load supporting tubular member, means to fasten said member rigidly in position, a work supporting cap attached to the upper end of said load supporting member, a second tubular member surrounding and spaced from said first load supporting member, the upper end of said second member engaging said cap, means forming a connection between the interiors of said two members adjacent to said cap, and means to supply acooling fluid to the lower end of said load supporting member to i'low through said connection and out through said second member.

2. A pier according to claim l including a heat dissipating member attached to the under side of said cap and extending downwardly into said rst member.

3. in combination with a furnace ioor, a pier to support work to be heated above said floor, said-pier including a vertically extending, tubular load supporting member, means independent of and under said floor tosupport said member with a portion of said member extending through and above said lioor, a cap upon which work to be heated is placed fastened to the upper end of said member, a second tubular member surrounding and spaced from said load supporting member, means forming a passage between said load supporting member and said second tubular member adjacent to said cap and including said cap as a portion thereof, and means to supply a cooling iiuid to the lowerend of said loadV supporting tubular member to liow through said passage and be exhausted through said second tubular member.

4. The combination of claim 3 including insulating material surrounding said second tubular member.

5. ln combination, a furnace having a oor therein, means for supporting work to be heated above said door comprising a pier extending through and above said iioor, means below said i'loor to support said pier, said pier including affirst rigid vertically extending tubular member, a work supporting element hired to and carried by the upper end yof said membenra second tubular member surrounding said first tubular member with the upper end of said second member attached to said element, means forming a passage between said iirst and second members adjacent to said element and incorporating said element as a part thereof, and means to supply a cooling fluid directly through said rst member to be exhausted through said passage and said second member.

6. The combination of claim 5 including insulating material surroundingthat portion of said second tubular member extending above said door.

7. In combination, a furnace having an elongated chamber with a iioor therein, said oor being provided with an elongated slot therein, a plurality of wheels attached below said licor on opposite sides of said slot, a car of a width to be received in said slot and move therealong, said car being provided with rails engaging said wheels to guide said car along said slot, a plurality of work supporting piers on said car, each of said piers including a tubular load supporting member attached to said car and extending above and below the same, a work supporting cap attached to the upper end of said load supporting member, means surrounding said load supporting member forming an annular passage, means forminf7 a connection between the interior of said member and said passage adjacent to said cap, and means below said car to supply a cooling fluid to the lower end of said load supporting member to flow through said connection and be discharged through said passage.

8. The combination of claim 7 in which said surrounding means extends below said car whereby the cooling fluid is discharged below said car.

9. ln combination, a furnace having an elongated chamber with a floor therein, said floor being provided with a slot extending the length thereof, a car operable to move along said slot, said car having a plurality of piers projecting upwardly from and below the same, each pier including a central, tubular load supporting member, a work supporting cap fixed to the top of said load supporting member, a second tubular member spaced from and surrounding at least the upper end of said load supporting tubular member, means forming a passage between the interior of said members adjacent to the upper end thereof, and means below said car to supply a cooling fluid directly to said load supporting tubular member.

l0. Apparatus for heating metal objects comprising a furnace having an elongated chamber with a oor, said oor being provided with a slot extending lengthwise thereof, a carrilge of a width substantially equal to that of said slot, means to support said carriage for movement along said slot, said carriage being provided with a plurdity of piers, each pier comprising a rst load supporting tubular member extending through said carriage above and below the same, a load carrying cap attached to the upper end of said load supporting member, means to fasten said load supporting member rigidly to said carritge, a second tubular member surrounding and spaced from at least the upper portion of said rst load supporting member and engaging said cap, means forming a passage between the interiors of said members adjacent to the upper ends thereof, and means located below said carriige to supply a cooling uid to the interior of said rst tubular load supporting member.

11. The combination of claim 10 in which the portion of said second tubular member above said carriage is covered with an insulating material.

12. The combination of cl-aim 10 in which said oor is provided with a pair of parallel slots and a carriage is received in each slot side by side whereby an object to be heated is supported jointly by piers on both of said carriages.

13. The combination of claim 12 in which there are provided a plurality of carriages for each slot to follow each other one after the other through said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,372,773 Norman Mar. 29, 1921 1,864,354 Ipsen et al June 21, 1932 1,878,896 Sessions Sept. 20, 1932 2,244,800 Pascale June 10, 1941 2,592,236 Bloom Apr. 8, 1952 2,706,110 Ness Apr. 12, 1955 2,901,234 Sisto et al Aug. 25, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 846,573 France Sept. 20', 1939 563,976 Germany Nov. 12, 1932 

